There’s a surplus of job candidates on the market. And yet, when it comes to finding skilled labor that’s qualified, it’s a challenge for many companies. Whether you work in construction, warehousing or another similar industry, sourcing and recruiting those who are capable, dependable and safety-conscious can be a tall order.
The good news is that by being more strategic with your approach, you can attract the skilled laborers you need. Here are a few ways to do that:
Promote your perks.
When it comes to skilled labor jobs, there are misconceptions that they don’t offer good pay or benefits and other compensation. But the reality is that many skilled labor positions are stable, secure and well-paying. In fact, the average salary for a skilled laborer in the trades is over $65,000 a year. So make sure you promote these kinds of perks in your skilled labor job description.
Create an apprenticeship program.
One good way to create a funnel of future skilled labor for your company is with an apprenticeship program. This allows candidates to work for your seasoned skilled tradesmen on a part- or full-time basis, learning from them, getting working done, and potentially becoming your next top performer as they do.
Get connected.
Make sure you have relationships with local recruiters, labor unions, career colleges and other types of technical institutions that can feed you quality and hard-working candidates.
Avoid stereotypes when hiring.
While many skilled laborers are men, that doesn’t mean your next skilled laborer needs to be male. Be open-minded and willing to depart from the traditional to find and hire the talented people you need. This makes sense now and in the future, as women are expected to make up nearly 25% of the construction industry this year alone.
Keep a file for second-chance candidates.
If you interviewed a candidate who seemed promising but wasn’t quite ready to perform the role you needed them to, create a file for them. Down the line, as you need to hire skilled laborers, you can return to this file and reach out to them. By that point, they’ll likely have more skills and experience under their belt.
Offer flexibility.
Today’s workers need more flexibility with their scheduling, whether it’s due to having young children or elderly parents. Whatever the case, the more flexibility you can give, the more likely you’ll be able to recruit and retain top skilled laborers.
Provide quality compensation and culture.
To recruit and hire the best workers, you have to offer them a rewarding place to work along with competitive wages and benefits. According to annual reports by the National Center for Construction Education and Research, the average salary across 17 skilled trades occupations increased by almost 15% between the years 2012 an d 2018. Beyond compensation, the culture too needs to be one that’s safe, supportive and promotes employee wellness.
Deliver on-the-job training.
The best skilled laborers want to continuously learn and grow, advancing their craft and their careers as they do. That’s why providing continual training and professional development to help them sharpen existing skills and gain new ones is so important.
Ask for referrals.
One of the best and most effective ways to recruit new skilled laborers is by asking existing staff for referrals. You’ll not only get fast access to an entire pipeline of talent, but do so in a way that’s more cost-efficient. You can even offer a formal referral program that incentivizes employees to offer referrals.
Work with a recruitment firm.
Instead of investing the time and resources into finding skilled labor on your own, let a recruitment firm handle the job. You can gain faster access to pre-qualified people, all while spending more time focused on other business priorities. You can also use a recruitment firm to fill positions for temporary employment, as well as temp-to-hire and full-time jobs.